Case for a multiplicity of media discs

ABSTRACT

A case for storing a multiplicity of media discs, includes a cover, an internal binder attached to the cover or formed integrally with it and having a pair of laterally spaced tracks that have a certain height, and a number of substantially planar disk-mounting panels. Each disk-mounting panel has a pair of transverse extending slots, each interacting with one of the tracks in such manner as to open like the page of the book and move laterally toward and away from the binder. The disk case can store a large number of disk-mounting panels while conforming to standardised case width and height dimensions.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to storage cases for media discs. Moreparticularly, although not exclusively, the invention relates to aplastics keep case for point-of-sale distribution of DVD boxed sets,music CDs, software CD-ROMs and the like.

It is known to provide “boxed sets” comprising multiple DVDs or CDs forexample in point-of-sale “keep cases”. Such cases as used for DVD movieboxed sets for example, are of standard width and height dimension fordistribution and display conformity. Some such keep cases are assembledlike a book comprising front and back covers connected by a spine. Theback cover supports a number of internal disk-receiving pockets, eachreceiving a disk. A problem with such structures is in the lowdurability of the pockets and generally poor selectability of the disksas the pockets do not turn well and do not display the disks well.

A development of the above theme insofar as it relates to DVD keep caseshas been in the provision of internal plastics panels attached to thespine and to the front and/or back of which there is/are provideddisk-retaining hubs or bosses onto which the discs can be individuallymounted for easy display, retrieval and replacement. Such cases arehowever limited to just several such plastics panels, as standardisationof the external packaging width and height dimensions limits the numberof panels that can be properly turned open without clashing with eachother to display the discs effectively.

OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION

It is an object of the present invention to overcome or substantiallyameliorate the above disadvantage and/or more generally to provide animproved keep case for multiple media discs capable of storing anddisplaying when required more than several panels, whilst maintainingstandardised case width and height dimensions.

DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION

There is disclosed herein a disk case for storing a multiplicity ofmedia discs, comprising:

-   -   a cover,    -   an internal binder attached to or formed integrally with the        cover and having a pair of laterally spaced tracks that have a        certain height,    -   a plurality of substantially planar disk-mounting panels, each        having a pair of transverse extending slots having a length        approximating the height of each track, wherein each slot        interacts with a respective one of the tracks in such manner as        to enable pivoting of the panel throughout an angular range        whilst maintaining a capability of lateral in-plane movement at        any angular orientation within that range.

Preferably, the cover includes a front portion and a back portionbetween which the disk-mounting panels are located, and a spine hingedlyconnecting the front and back portions, and wherein the binder extendsfrom the spine.

Preferably, each track comprises a wall and a curved rail, and whereineach slot opens to an edge of its disk-mounting panel at a lip againstwhich the curved rail can bear.

Preferably, each disk-mounting panel comprises a pair of resilientdisk-mounting bosses extending from respective opposed faces thereof.

Preferably, the front portion and the back portion each comprise aninward facing resilient disk-mounting boss.

Preferably, the slots are located adjacent to respective top and bottomedges of the disk-mounting panels.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

A preferred form of the present invention will now be described by wayof example with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective illustration of a DVD keep case in anopen, page-splayed configuration,

FIG. 2 is a schematic perspective illustration of the DVD keep case ofFIG. 1 in an open configuration, and with the pages or disk-mountingpanels in a stacked configuration, but with the spine of the case openedout,

FIG. 3 is a schematic perspective illustration of the working internalcomponents of the DVD keep case of FIG. 2,

FIG. 4 is a schematic perspective illustration of the working internalcomponents of the DVD keep case of FIG. 2, with the disk-mounting panelsstacked, but with the spine in a case-closed/retracted configuration,

FIG. 5 is a schematic perspective illustration of the case of FIGS. 1and 2 in a closed configuration, and

FIG. 6 is a schematic perspective illustration of a portion of one ofthe disk-mounting panels showing details of one of the slots therein.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

In the accompanying drawings there is depicted schematically a diskstorage case 10 typically formed of moulded plastics material such aspolypropylene. The case 10 comprises a cover having a front portion 11,a back portion 12 and a spine 13 to which the front and back portionsare hingedly connected in a continuous moulding.

Attached to or formed integrally with the spine 13 is a binder 14 thatincludes a pair of spaced apart tracks 15. Each track 15 has anupstanding wall 16 and a curved rail 17 extending partially about itsperiphery. That is, the rail 17 comprises a curved top portion thatextends down each edge of the wall 16.

Attached to the binder 14 are five (although there might be providedfewer or more) individual disk-mounting panels 18 each comprising frontand back mutually offset resilient disk-mounting hubs or bosses 19. Eachdisk-mounting panel 18 might be likened to the page of a book and isjust slightly wider than the diameter of a disk. Located nearby the topand bottom edges of each disk-mounting panel 18 are transverse slots 20.The slots 20 extend partially across each disk-mounting panel from theedge 21 of the disk-mounting panel adjacent to the spine 13 and binder14. At or adjacent to the edge 21, each slot 20 is provided with a lip22 from the Pru

The slots 20 fit over the respective tracks 15 in such a manner that thelip 22 engages the inside edge of the rail 17. This inter-engagementcaptures the panel 18 and defines the maximum in-plane extent of thepanel away from the binder 14.

As can be seen in FIG. 1, the disk-mounting panels 18 can pivot in thedirection indicated by arrow B throughout a range sufficient to “open”the panel like the page of a book (typically about 180°), and at thesame time undergo in-plane movement as shown by arrow A. This in-planemovement can be made at any angular orientation of the panels 18 withinthe opening range. During this in-plane movement, the slots 20 move overthe tracks 15. It should be noted that the length of the slotsapproximates the height of the tracks so that in the configurationdepicted in FIG. 4, the tracks are received fully within the slots.

The preferred embodiment as described above comprises many “pages” ordisk-mounting panels that can be easily opened out, yet still closeddown to a compact package having standard width W and height H (see FIG.5) because the tracks are received substantially completely by the slotswhen the case is closed.

It should be appreciated that modifications and alterations obvious tothose skilled in the art are not to be considered as beyond the scope ofthe present invention. For example, the disk-mounting panels mightcomprise resilient bosses only on one face and the inside faces of thefront and back covers might also include resilient bosses. Furthermore,the tracks 15 need not have a curved top rail. Indeed, the tracks couldbe of any closed shape (e.g. A-shaped, square, polygonal, or otherwise)suitable to the task. Furthermore, the tracks might not need to comprisea wall and the rail. They could instead simply comprise and open-centredarch or loop like the binder of a stationery file.

1. A disk case for storing a multiplicity of media discs, comprising; acover, an internal binder attached to or formed integrally with thecover and having a pair of laterally spaced tracks that have a certainheight, a plurality of substantially planar disk-mounting panels, eachhaving a pair of transverse extending slots having a lengthapproximating the height of each track, wherein each slot interacts witha respective one of the tracks in such manner as to enable pivoting ofthe panel throughout an angular range whilst maintaining a capability oflateral in-plane movement at any angular orientation within that range.2. The disk case of claim 1, wherein the cover includes a front portionand a back portion between which the disk-mounting panels are located,and a spine hingedly connecting the front and back portions, and whereinthe binder extends from the spine.
 3. The disk case of claim 1, whereineach track comprises a wall and a curved rail, and wherein each slotopens to an edge of its disk-mounting panel at a lip against which thecurved rail can bear.
 4. The disk case of claim 1, wherein eachdisk-mounting panel comprises a pair of resilient disk-mounting bossesextending from respective opposed faces thereof.
 5. The disk case ofclaim 2, wherein the front portion and the back portion each comprise aninward facing resilient disk-mounting boss.
 6. The disk case of claim 1,wherein the slots are located adjacent to respective top and bottomedges of the disk-mounting panels.